Changes
by HurtsTheSameWhenNobodyKnows
Summary: Jem and Scout are in high school now, and things are really starting to change. Better summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**AN : This is a story that would take place if _To Kill A Mockingbird _happened in modern times. Also, the kids have now grown up and are now in high school. I wasn't 100% sure of the age difference between Jem and Scout, so I just made it what seemed appropriate for this particular fic. This is my first story, ever, so reviews are much welcomed and appreciated. Thanks!**

It was Jean-Louise Finch's first day of high school. She was quite nervous, and really did not know what to expect. Sure, she knew all about what Jem had told her, but that barely counted. It wouldn't have been the first time Jem had lied to her. So, she was just going to have to see for herself.

Dill had just left the day previous, and she was actually okay with it. It was always the same thing with them. They had a short fling during the summer, but throughout the year forgot about most previous feelings they had during the break, and then basicially had to start all over when summer began. She was happy to be a free woman.

Especially since last year, in grade 8, a lot of girls all had boyfriends and she didn't. This year, things were going to change though. They were going to change a huge amount, actually.

Over the summer something had changed. Scout didn't want to be tied down to just Dill. She always came to a conclusion. She was too much of a boy. So, today she was going to start doing something that she didn't even think she had in her. She was going to act like a girl. Starting with the way she dressed. She was going to trade in her old ripped jeans, for a nice pale blue dress. It even had a beautiful white ribbon around the middle. After what seemed like hours of playing with her hair, she decided it would just be best to leave it out, and flip it over her left shoulder. After giving herself a quick look-over in the mirror, she sighed and figured it was as good as it was going to get.

As she walked downstairs she saw the jaws of both Jem, and her father Atticus, drop.

"Wooooah! What HAPPENED?" Jem asked laughing.

"I just...uhm...I wanted to be girlier..." Scout responded kind of quietly.

"Ha! Well mission accomplished! You look RIDICULOUS," Jem was still laughing at her. But, after Atticus shot him a look, he shut up for a while.

"I think you look lovely, Miss Jean-Louise," Calpurnia, the housemaid inputted as she came to bring Scout some juice.

"I agree, with Cal, Scout. You look very nice this morning," Atticus added.

"Thanks," Scout mumbled.

"Well, you two had better get going! Don't want to miss the first day!" Atticus announced.

"What's the point, dad? Nothing exciting is going to happen," Jem compalined.

"The point is, Jeremy, that it's your senior year! Just this year, and you're done! Besides maybe this year you'll meet a nice girl and -"

"Dad! They've been the same girls all of my life. That's not going to happen."

"Well you never know! Besides, I'm sure your sister is egar to go," Atticus responded, nodding at Scout who shyly looked away.

"Fine, fine, whatever. C'mon, Scout. Let's go." Jem said, throwing his bookbag carelessly over his shoulder, motioning for Scout to exit ahead of him.

"Have a good day!" Attuicus called as they left.

The walk to school was quiet, until Jem finally deicded to say what was on his mind and break the silence.

"So. Do you wanna tell me what's really going on?" he demanded.

"Huh?" Scout was confused.

"This new image you're trying to pull of!" Jem exclaimed. "What's up with it?"

Scout couldn't tell him what was really going on. Jem wouldn't understand the concept of wanting to be in a relationship. He had never had a girlfriend, and he never even wanted one. There was no way she could tell him without him laughing in her face.

"I just...wanted to try out something new," She shrugged.

"Yeah. I'm sure that's it. You know, when you want to tell me what's REALLY going on, I'll listen." He replied dryly.

By this point of the conversation, they were basically already at school, but they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw who was waiting for them outside of the school.

"Hey guys!" Dill greeted them.

**I'm not really sure if this was good or not, but if it was okay, I'll try to update more! **


	2. Chapter 2

"Dill...what are you doing here?" Jem questioned skeptically. "I thought you left yesterday."

"Well, I was supposed to, but then after long conversations with my Mom and my Aunt Rachel, they wanna let me try school here! Which is great!" Dill grinned in response.

Scout knew that this wasn't a good thing. If she wanted to try her luck with other boys, then Dill was going to have to back up off her. As if he could read her thoughts, Dill adressed Scout.

"You don't look very happy to see me." He noted a bit sadly.

"It's not that I don't want to see you...just that I wasn't...expecting you." Scout told him as gently as she could.

"You sure clean up good though!" Dill flirted whilst giving her a cheeky grin, that made Scout blush.

"Thanks." She said shyly looking at the ground.

Suddenly a new girl came up and stood beside Dill. They knew she was new because they had never seen her in Maycomb County before. She was tall and athletic. She had long brown hair put in a side braid, and was wearing tight jeans and an over-sized green flannel shirt.

"Dill, I have our schedules." She told him looking down at the schedules, not noticing that Dill had been talking to some other people.

She looked up from them for a second to see Jem and Scout staring at her.

"Oh," the new girl said shyly "Hi."

"Hi." Jem responded, sounding a bit out of it.

"I almost forgot!" Dill announced. "This is my cousin, Rebecca. She's going to school here too."

"Nice to meet you, Rebecca!" Scout greeted, smiling, shaking her hand. She was glad she didn't have to think about her relationship with Dill for a while.

"The pleasure's all mine." Rebecca responded, also smiling, shaking Scout's hand back.

"What grade are you in?" Jem asked a bit nervously.

"Eleven. Kind of. I have a lot of different leveled classes." She shrugged in response.

"Well, maybe," Jem began, still a bit nervously. "I could show you around to your classes?"

Rebecca suddenly looked at him, and beemed brightly.

"I'd like that!" She smlied, causing Jem to do the same, and together they walked into the school.

Dill and Scout were left alone.

"So, I was thinking, this year we could be the it couple." Dill told her, a bit bluntly.

Scout sighed. She knew this wasn't going to be easy.

"Look Dill. About that," she began slowly, "Our relationship is too...weird for me. I'm trying to be girlier and everything because I kind of wanted to get a boyfriend this year."

"Well, why do you need a boyfriend when you have me?" Dill questioned.

Scout looked at him, a bit sadly, but Dill got the hint.

"Oh." He sighed.

"It's not that I don't enjoy your company, just that...I need change." Scout told him honestly.

"It's okay I get it." Dill replied.

"You do?" Scout inquired. Maybe this would be easier than she thought.

"Yep!" Dill exclaimed "I'm just going to have to make you fall in love with me."

"No! Dill! Wait! That's not what I meant!" Scout called after him. But Dill was already making his way into the school.

At the same time that this was happening, Jem was showing the new girl, Rebecca, around the school a bit. Just as the tour was almost over rebecca stopped and looked at him for a second.

"Thanks, for like, showing me around the school and everything. It means a lot." She girnned shyly.

"It's no problem. Really." Jem assured her.

Rebecca smiled, and was suddenly curious about something. While they were walking through the school she had learned a lot about Jem. He talked about Scout, and his friends, and even Dill a little bit. But he never mentioned a girlfriend. For whatever reason, Rebecca was very curious about this.

"So, your girlfriend doesn't mind you showing me around?" She questioned, hoping for the answer she wanted to hear.

"I uh, I don't have one." Jem shrugged.

Rebecca smiled. Jem looked over at her and smlied too. He had only ever liked a few other girls before, and it wasn't that big of a deal. But here, stood this beautiful girl that asked him if he had a girlfriend. Did she want to know because she liked him? Or was she just curious? But none of that mattered, because in a quick motion, Jem leaned towards her, and kissed her.


End file.
